


Things change.

by percyinpanties



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 04:58:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4334738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyinpanties/pseuds/percyinpanties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If someone had told Nico years ago that one day, he’d be in love with not only Percy, but with Annabeth too, and at the same time, he would laughed at them - right before telling them to fuck off. He’s not sure he’d react the same way now.<br/>There are many kinds of love, and only now Nico thinks he is beginning to understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things change.

**Author's Note:**

> Not yet edited because I am a lazy piece of shit :D

“Percy..” Nico tries to push the other boy back, but with every kiss against his neck, Nico’s resolve crumbles a little. “Annabeth is right outside.”

The fact that his girlfriend is just on the other side of the half-closed door, reading on the couch, doesn’t seem to bother Percy in the slightest. Nico knows Percy told her, and that there is more to it than they told _him_ , but he still isn’t sure he’s quite comfortable with rubbing it into her face like this.

Percy’s hands are wandering up Nico’s cold skin underneath Nico’s shirt, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and his lips twitch into a grin against Nico’s neck.

“So?” He mumbles eventually, biting Nico’s collarbone a little harsher than before and making Nico gasp both in arousal and pain. Percy smirks, looking far too smug for Nico’s liking and pushes Nico down on the mattress after all.

“I’m not going to have sex with you when she might walk in any second.” This time, Nico hisses the words, and the tone of his voice actually makes Percy still. Their eyes meet and there’s a small frown on Percy’s face, like he might just start to pout at Nico.

“She’s not going to walk in.” Percy mumbles, like that should be obvious. “She knows what we’re doing in here, it was her idea.”

Nico raises an eyebrow, trying to make sense of Percy’s words. He remembers their conversation this morning very clear, and so far, Nico had doubted Annabeth was even as okay with this as Percy had made her out to be.  Outside, Nico hears the _twak_ of someone - Annabeth - closing her book, then steps down the hallway, away from the living room. She must have heard them and Nico suddenly feels a little guilty about it, being in here with Percy, even though she knows.

Percy isn’t worried though, he cups Nico’s face in a way that’s entirely too tender for this situation, and leans down to connect their lips in a kiss. It’s slow and gentle, and worst of all, it makes Nico’s head spin until all he can think is that he wants _more_ and that he doesn’t want to wait for it any longer.

 

* * *

 

 

_“We’ve been having some problems for a while and… well. I think you might be the solution Nico.”_

Percy’s voice echoes in Nico’s head when he watches Annabeth from across the table the next morning. It’s Sunday, she doesn’t have to go university, and Percy has the day off work too, that’s what he told Nico when he asked him to stay for breakfast when they woke up earlier.

Nico regrets agreeing. He thought that maybe, after having had Percy, seeing him together with Annabeth might become easier, but in fact Nico is pretty sure it just got harder.  They are not flaunting it, they barely even kiss each other, but the way Percy looks at her like she’s the sun is enough to make Nico ache with an old, but very familiar pain.

It’s not their fault though, Nico should have known better than to agree to this, so he doesn’t mention anything and stays quiet all through breakfast. He’s not surprised when neither of them tries to make him stay afterwards, but all the more when Annabeth pecks his cheek and whispers a ‘Thank you’ in his ear before Percy has even gotten out of his chair. Nico looks at her in bewilderment, nods and forces a smile that he knows she won’t buy.

“I...um..” Percy mumbles as he stands up, probably finally catching on the tension in the room. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

Nico can still hear Annabeth and the plates’ clatter in the kitchen when he slips into his shoes and shrugs on his jacket while Percy leans in the doorframe and watches him carefully.

“I’d really like to do this again, if you want to.” He says quietly, like he knows Nico will turn him down. Percy looks like he means it though and in the end, Nico has never really been able to resist him.

“Maybe. Call me..or something.” Before Percy can say anything else, anything Nico doesn’t want to hear or worse - apologise - Nico disappears out of the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Percy doesn’t call. Annabeth does.

Nico stares at the display for way too long before he finally gives in and picks up the call.

“Nico?” The nervousness in her voice calms the one flaring in Nico’s stomach, at least he’s not the only one uncomfortable this time. “Would you have coffee with me some time this week? I.. I want to talk to you about something.”

 

* * *

 

 

When Nico sits in the small coffee shop, waiting for Annabeth and what will undoubtedly be a talk about how she wants Nico to stay away from Percy. He can't even bring himself to blame or, or be mad. After all, Nico had been surprised she'd agreed to the whole thing in the first place, whatever problem it was that she and Percy were having.

Nico is early, but he still gets restless when he has to wait for Annabeth. They are not supposed to meet for another ten minutes and Nico is already feeling like the people around are giving him amused and pitying looks for getting dumped.

Thankfully, Annabeth has never been one to be late and she isn't this time. Five minutes before their scheduled time,  she comes in through the door. Nico sighs in relief.

"Am I late?" She asks instead of a greeting, checking her watch before she shoots Nico a small smile. "I'm sorry for making you wait."

"I was just early." He smiles, more earnestly than he did when they saw each other the last time, and gestures for her to sit. When she falls down on the chair, Nico shoves an untouched, and more surprisingly still steaming coffee in her direction that she takes with a grateful smile and a sigh.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me here.” She murmurs as soon as she has taken the first sip and Nico only shrugs in response. He’s never been one for many words, Annabeth knows that, and Nico is glad she doesn’t seem to mind. “I wanted to talk to you because I don’t think that… well.. that Percy and I were fair on you.”

 _Here it comes_ , Nico sighs internally and averts his gaze. He has prepared himself and he can take whatever she’s going to tell him now, but he doesn’t think he’s strong enough to meet her eyes while she’s talking too. Annabeth takes it as a cue to go on, running her fingers through her hair and smiling nervously in Nico’s direction.

“I’m asexual Nico.” That makes Nico look at her after all, eyes wide in surprise. This isn’t what he had expected in the very least, and Annabeth must know that too if the way she looks down on the table and wrings her hands is any indication.

“Me and Percy…” She goes on, choosing her words obviously more careful now. “We tried but… I’ve never felt attracted to him or anyone else in that way and I didn’t like sleeping with him either. He always said it wouldn’t be a problem but...I knew he was lying for my sake and I didn’t want that to weigh on our relationship.”

Nico meets her eyes and to his own surprise, reaches for one of her hands on the table. He gives it a squeeze, signaling for her to go on.

“We tried a lot of things, the internet has… quite a few suggestions. Nothing worked, we didn’t find anything we were both comfortable with. Just now we… we decided to try opening up our relationship, but that made things worse.”

Annabeth bites her lower lip and fixes her eyes on a spot on the table between them. Instinctively, Nico rubs his thumb over the back of her hand.

“That’s why Percy asked me?” It’s a guess, but the way Annabeth shrinks under the question is enough of an answer for Nico. He nods slowly to himself, finally understanding what it all had been about.

“We should have told you from the start. I like you Nico, and I know Percy likes you even more. We wanted to try to find someone more… _permanent_ I guess and… I’m sorry  that we weren’t upfront about our intentions with you.” The way she words it sounds like she has practiced this part, written it out maybe to make sure she doesn’t mess it up when it comes down to it and somehow, the thought makes Nico smile. This is just as hard for her to do as it is for Nico to understand.

“If that’s still what you want, I.. I’ll think about it. I’m not seeing anyone.” _and I like Percy. I always have._ Nico doesn’t speak his last thought, but something about the way Annabeth looks at him now tells him that she knows anyway.

 

* * *

 

 

“I haven’t even put away my stuff.” Nico laughs quietly but doesn’t resist when Percy pins him against the door and grins, their faces so close that Nico can feel Percy’s breathing.

“There’s time for that later, it’s not like you’re leaving again.” It seems like Percy is trying to remind Nico, remind him that he agreed to move in with him and Annabeth, to commit to whatever this thing is they have going on. Strangely enough, Nico thinks he doesn’t mind. Percy’s excitement is infectious and with a roll of his eyes, Nico pulls him into a kiss.

They stumble over the few crates on the floor on their way to the bedroom, neither of them really willing to pull away from the other, and eventually Percy just picks Nico up and carries him the rest of the way.

A month ago, it bothered Nico that they would sleep with each other in the same bed Percy usually shared with Annabeth, but by now, the thought doesn’t even cross his mind when Percy falls down on the mattress with him in his lap. The door is wide open, but Annabeth isn’t home so Nico decides he could care less when he pulls Percy’s shirt over his head and lets his own follow suit.

In the haze of touches and kisses, neither of them hears the door unlock. They haven’t even moved from the edge of the bed, Percy’s legs are hooked around Nico’s waist, foreheads resting against one another as Percy’s lips part with a loud moan. Nico is taking his time, he knows how to rile Percy up with the tiniest things and he’s making use of them all.

Percy lies with his head thrown back and curses under his breath, Nico just smirks and presses closer, drawing another moan out of his lover.

“Boys please. We have neighbours.”

Nico and Percy both freeze, staring at each other with wide eyes when Annabeth’s voice comes again.

“I can’t even read with all the noise you’re making.” She sounds more amused than annoyed, and after Percy looks past Nico to the door, he shakes his head a little: She’s not in the room either. Nico’s face is burning red with embarrassment, but Percy is grinning like an idiot as he flips them around and straddles Nico’s hips.

“Sorry babe.” He calls, looking over his shoulder to the door when he lowers himself down on Nico who is now the one having a hard time staying quiet. “We’ll keep it down.”

 

* * *

 

 

Nico is not really sure when exactly things changed, just that now, nothing is like it used to be before. It’s strange, but when he looks at Annabeth sitting on the other side of the table in the morning, her hair up in a bun almost as messy as his, he doesn’t feel the same bitterness he felt back when this began. Instead, there is affection blooming in his chest where he didn’t think there’d ever be anything again.

Percy is humming in front of the stove, swaying his hips to a melody he either made up at the top of his head or is singing so off tune that Nico doesn’t recognize the song it belongs to. Like most mornings, Percy’s only wearing an old pair of sweatpants, and like most mornings, Nico has trouble tearing his eyes away. Annabeth grins smugly when she catches Nico staring and snickers when he blushes under her amused gaze. They don’t talk a lot, it’s far too early for words, and Annabeth is already absorbed in the book open in the table next to her coffee again.

Nico doubts he’d admit it aloud, but he finds comfort in their routine, all getting up together for breakfast before Annabeth makes her way to university and Percy to work.

It’s been almost six months now, he thinks, since he basically moved in with them into their tiny little apartment. It is anything but big, but it’s nice and it feels like home, and Nico can’t think of any place he’d rather be - not that he’d say that aloud either.

Percy turns around, still humming that terrible song, and scrapes some eggs on their plates. When Annabeth murmurs her thanks, he leans down and steals a kiss. Half a year, and not even this can make Nico ache inside. Maybe because all it takes now is a little pout and Percy presses their lips together too, grinning into the kiss like he knows Nico has wrapped him around his little finger.

They eat in silence, thankfully Percy has learned that Nico isn’t any more of a morning person than Annabeth is, so he manages to keep his usual chatter to a quiet humming  that Nico can’t bring himself to find annoying.

When Annabeth gets up to leave a while later, she pecks Percy’s cheek and Nico’s forehead, tells them to behave while she’s gone and before Nico has even time to answer, she’s out of the door. Nevertheless, Nico can’t help his smile, small and fond, spreading on his lips right along with the warmth in his heart.

If someone had told Nico years ago that one day, he’d be in love with not only Percy, but with Annabeth too, and at the same time, he would laughed at them - right before telling them to fuck off. He’s not sure he’d react the same way now.

 

**Author's Note:**

> comments make my day, let me know what you think down below 


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